Sharjah: Russia and the US seem to be heading for an open confrontation after the Group of Eight (G8) summit ended in the failure of Western leaders to overcome Russian resistance to a resolution calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

Moscow has announced the dispatch to Syria of two warships carrying 600 Russian marines. “They were being sent to Syria to protect the Russian citizens there," an official statement said.

A Sharjah based newspaper in its editorial has said, "The Russian move is seen as a reflection of President Vladimir Putin's intent to flex military muscle in response to the delivery of Western heavy arms to Syrian rebels fighting the Assad regime."

"Putin is also seen as warning the US and its allies. If they insisted on arming the rebels, Russia would land troops in Syria in the guise of an operation to evacuate endangered Russian nationals," the newspaper further said.